Wrestler Joel Holman is an athlete with a mission

Perfecting technical moves has made senior Joel Holman, on top, a highly successful wrestler for the Big Red. Tim McKinney

By Sadie Baldwin

When senior Joel Holman completed his freshman year at Cornell, he was faced with a decision that had but one answer: He had to leave the university and complete his two-year Mormon mission in Los Angeles.

Holman, a Mormon from Leamington, Utah, always knew that when he turned 19 he would be expected to leave college and dedicate himself to his church through the mission. And he found the decision strengthened him in many ways.

During his mission, he focused on making his mind and body more sound. Even though there was no time to train, he and his assigned companion often got up at 5:30 in the morning to go to the gym and lift weights.

Now Cornell Coach Rob Koll describes Holman as "one of our hardest workers on the team."

Upon his return to Cornell in 1995, Holman took to the mat with more maturity and with a desire to compete that was stronger than ever, he said. That first season, he won the 177-pound New York state championship and was runner-up at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championship.

Dedication and desire to be the best have always been a part of Holman's attitude. His father and wrestling coach, Ladd Holman, instilled these qualities in him, he said. The senior Holman taught him to be a competitor and to believe in himself. During his years at Delta High School in Utah, he was state champion three times.

Now he admits he misses that family support during the fall and says the holidays and the long times between visits are hard. "I can always remember that my family is only one phone call away," he says. But, in the spring semester, they're often much closer -- traveling the distance to give him their encouragement during his matches.

Being a senior and a captain, Holman hopes to motivate the team toward success. Even though wrestling is one-on-one competition, the team has a close-knit relationship, he says. During the Black and Decker/Cornell Duals on Nov. 22, Holman lost to Kevin Drew of Lock Haven 4-3 -- a loss that upset him because he felt he let the team down. Instead, he said, his teammates gave him support and encouragement, which contributed to his defeating Drew 1-0 at the Mat Town Invitational the following week in Lock Haven.

The future for Holman and the rest of the team looks bright. Currently the squad is 2-1 overall, and it has already accomplished a great feat early in the season, defeating nationally ranked Penn State (8th) at the Black and Decker/Cornell Duals. It was only the ninth time in 62 meetings that the Big Red had defeated the Nittany Lions.

Individually, Holman is having a fine year as well, with an 8-1 record in invitationals and a 1-1 record in dual meets, wrestling in the 190-pound weight class. And now a personal mission of his on the horizon is being an All-America selection.